Page 62 of Merry Fake Bride

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs, his voice low. “This was not my plan at all.”

“It’s fine.” My smile remains tight. “It would happen sooner or later, right?”

“True, but my mother is…” He visibly winces. “I’ll do my best to help you. How is your arm?”

I glance at my cast and flex my fingers. “Fine, why?”

“If you need an escape, it’s the perfect excuse.” Something pained flitters in Kairo’s eyes and he straightens up as Clarice reappears around the tree.

I observe them together while she retakes her seat and get the distinct impression that Kairo hasn’t just been struggling under his father’s shadow.

“So.” She speaks curtly. “You are the woman with her clutches on my son.”

My brow lifts.

She’s straight to the point with an insult thrown in just like that.

With no time to find out if my responses will affect my deal with Kairo, I smile politely. “

Yes. Firm clutches, I might add. He’s an incredible man.”

“He takes after his father.” Clarice sniffs and looks down her long nose at me. “So, is it his money you’re after?”

“Mom!” Kairo cuts in sharply.

“What? I’m just asking and I have a right to know what kind of woman is joining this family.”

“A woman I care deeply for,” Kairo remarks. “And if you want to find out more, then you will treat her with respect or I’m leaving. I have no qualms about causing a scene here.”

Clarice appears visibly shocked at Kairo’s sudden outburst.

Meanwhile, I’m unable to take my eyes off him as a yearning heat pours through my entire body. I

know he’s pretending, but he almost has me convinced as well.

“I understand,” I say, aiming to keep the peace. “You’re protective of your son and your family. I don’t blame you at all.”

Clarice nods just once, then we’re interrupted by the waiter.

She tries to order for all of us, but Kairo shuts that down quickly where I’m concerned, leaving me free to order a small salad.

I can’t stomach anything else in a place like this, and the food here is undoubtedly too rich for my stomach.

“So, Devon, tell me about yourself,” Clarice says as she delicately stabs her fork into a stick of asparagus. “How did you make my son fall for you?”

“I can’t tell you that part because how he fell for me is his own business,” I reply calmly, chasing a small, perfectly round tomato around my plate. “But I’m an accountant, mostly. That and I dabble in some baking, but nothing serious. Kairo and I met at a… party.”

Choosing my words carefully, I see that Kairo looks grateful. “I was celebrating a friend’s promotion and Kairo was out looking to relax.” The lie spins like silk. “We quickly found out that we shared the same sense of humor, and things just spiraled from there.”

“Until you were hit by a car.” Clarice sounds accusatory so to aid her, I hold my cast aloft.

“Yup. I’m terribly unbalanced.”

“So it would seem. As an accountant, who do you work for?”

Clarice’s interrogation is exhausting.

She fights to drag every tidbit of information about me and my family out into the light, but I dodge her questions as smoothly as I can, unwilling to give away anything that could hurt me.